Environmental control technology survey of selected US strip mining sites: water quality impacts and overburden chemistry of southern Illinois study Site IL-2

Technical Report · Wed Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:6041143

Hood, W C

As part of a program to examine the ability of existing control technologies to meet proposed federal guidelines for the quality of aqueous effluents from coal mines, intensive studies of water, coal, and overburden chemistry were conducted at a surface mine in southern Illinois in 1976-1977. Water sampling sites at the mine (designated IL-2) included several points on the receiving stream (for mine effluent), a tributary to the receiving stream, and intake and discharge water for a coal-cleaning plant. No chemical treatment for mine drainage or settling ponds was used at this mine during the course of the study. Water-quality data for parameters included in the federal regulations generally indicated a sharp contrast between water in the mined area and water in the coal-cleaning-plant area. The latter consisted of a closed circuit with makeup intake water originating in a drainage basin that has historically received untreated and treated mine drainage. Water in the mined area generally complied with federal standards for pH, iron, manganese, and total suspended solids, while water in the coal cleaning plant circuit occasionally did not comply. Seasonal trends for regulated water-quality parameters, based on sampling every two weeks, were not evident. Overburden analysis indicated that for most lithologic units, neutralization potential exceeded acid potential; the only exceptions were for the coal itself and a thin carbonaceous siltstone overlying the coal. The mine has certain impacts on water quality when compared to water with no mining influence: total dissolved solids are increased; sulfate, which makes up one-half to two-thirds of the total dissolved solids, increases; calcium (and therefore hardness) increases; iron and manganese increase slightly; and suspended solids increase slightly. When compared with water coming from the old mined area, most of these parameters actually improve.

• Research Organization: Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• OSTI ID: 6041143
• Report Number(s): ANL/EES-TM-221; ON: DE83014209
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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